Introduction to the event "TinyGo Keeb Tour 2024"

This article introduces an event held in Japan. This is basically a translation of the following post, originally written in Japanese, into English.

Workshop materials and build guides are available here:

The Beginning

On June 13, 2024, this tour started with a small team: , . Many more staff members joined in as the project grew—thanks to everyone for their hard work!

The first kickoff meeting was scheduled for July 1, 2024. Before that date, we focused on designing and ordering the PCBs, with the current version finalized by June 16. The PCB design includes a matrix layout, and we ensured a display was included to make it fully enjoyable with TinyGo.

Traveling Across Regions

The 2024 tour covered four regions:

August 4, 2024 - Kobe with KOBE.go

Our first event! After deciding on the Kanto event on August 26, we organized a trial run in Kobe without soldering. We gathered at a hack bar, enjoyed drinks, and dived into the hands-on workshop, establishing a good flow for future sessions.

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August 26, 2024 - Kanto with Women Who Go Tokyo

This event included soldering. We found a suitable venue and borrowed equipment like soldering irons from . Despite being new to teaching soldering, we managed successfully.

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While working through the hands-on activities, participants were free to create whatever they wanted, resulting in some interesting projects.

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By the second stop on the tour, we had an official T-shirt. The design features a very long gopher holding an ISO Enter key and a soldering iron—such a cool design!

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October 12, 2024 - Sendai with Sendai.go

With knowledge accumulated from the first two events, the Sendai session went smoothly. The tour merchandise was expanded to include a tour towel—quite impressive!

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The soldering process went well, with significant improvements in the steps and documentation based on KPT feedback from previous events. Although there were a few minor issues, things progressed smoothly.

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We also enjoyed a traditional Imoni-kai (potato stew party)—it was delicious!

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In Sendai, participants created a variety of interesting projects, as expected.

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The addition of the tour towel made for some fantastic photos.

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October 26, 2024 - Fukuoka with Kizuku.go

The final event of 2024. Documentation was further refined, reducing potential trouble spots.

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Participants mainly followed the build guide on their smartphones or other small devices while working.

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Even if there were any mistakes, the staff was ready to rework them, so participants could feel at ease!

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We also showcased a new MIDI functionality demo specifically for the Fukuoka event. Afterward, we ended up having a spontaneous MIDI session, practically forgetting about the keyboard hands-on workshop!

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To wrap up, we took a final group photo to commemorate the tour.

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What is the zero-kb02 Hardware Used in the Tour?

The zero-kb02 is a 12-key macro pad specifically designed for the TinyGo Keeb Tour 2024. It includes a rotary encoder and joystick, making it enjoyable for everyday use as a DIY keyboard or macro pad. It also features a screen, allowing it to function as a development board for TinyGo.

As a demo, we’re developing a 2D game engine called / .